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Home inspector criticized for lawsuit remark

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, February 28, 2006.

Dear Barry,

I look forward to your column as a weekly voice of common sense and reason for your readers. So I was surprised and offended by a statement you made in a recent article. Your main point was to explain that sellers should not be liable for defects that are concealed within walls, and you advised a buyer to cut his losses and move on, rather than suing the seller. But then, you took a gratuitous swipe at the entire legal profession, stating that "armies of lawyers" would pursue poorly founded litigation to obtain excessive fees.  more...

Las Vegas home-buying spree pays off big time

By Robert Bruss, Tuesday, February 28, 2006.

The unusual real estate book, "The Insider's Guide to 52 Homes in 52 Weeks," by Dolf de Roos and Gene Burns, tells how a real estate "guru" and an amateur investor teamed up to acquire 52 three- and four-bedroom houses in Las Vegas in about 10 months. They accomplished their goal by never investing more than $5,000 of their own cash in any house.

This fascinating book is the story of a beginner real estate investor who convinced a real estate "guru," who teaches real estate classes, to take him on as a partner to buy 52 houses in 52 weeks.  more...

Real estate investor has trouble shaking depreciation recapture tax

By Robert Bruss, Tuesday, February 28, 2006.

DEAR BOB: If I move for 24 months into a rental house I've owned for 15 years, can I then sell it as my principal residence to avoid the recapture tax on all the depreciation I've deducted? --Elinor W.

DEAR ELINOR: Sorry.  more...